Skadi, I Have a Girlfriend Now

Iberia had only ever studied warfare with the Seaborn, so they could not understand the Seaborn's language. Otherwise, Carmen would certainly have heard the Seaborn cheering.

Yes, the Seaborn were cheering. The entire Seaborn Brood was rejoicing. The Seaborn along the coasts of Great Yan, Rim Billiton, and elsewhere had also retreated, and the consumed coastlines had reappeared.

Though they had failed to receive Ishar-mla's signal, the Seaborn had received Mizuki's response. Without a doubt, he was a powerful kin, one capable of leading the entire Brood.

From this day onward, the Brood decided to follow the Seaborn. One particularly clever individual even used a term learned from its human believers to describe the act.

Hmm, this should be called stanning just one.

Last Night Seemed to Have Been a Big Deal

"Ugh..."

Her head hurt, and the sunlight was blinding. Texas could not help clutching her head while using her other hand to push Exusiai's head away.

No wonder it had felt so bright despite the curtains being drawn this early in the morning. With this girl around, what else could it be?

"I really shouldn't have drunk so much last night. No, was the alcohol stronger than usual?"

A sliver of morning light pierced through the curtains and into the room, telling Texas that it was already late. Fortunately, mornings were Penguin Logistics' break time; work did not begin until the afternoon and evening.

Last night's alcohol had been stronger than at their usual parties, yet Texas had instinctively forgotten that. Damn it, how had she let her guard down?

"Tch. Next time, no matter what, I'm not letting Exusiai buy the alcohol. Come to think of it, why did we throw a party last night?"

The hangover had left Texas' mind somewhat fuzzy. Normally, she would not drink this much, since it would be troublesome if an enemy attacked at a time like this.

But fortunately, nothing had happened last night. Yeah, nothing at all...

"Where are my clothes?"

Texas' ears instantly stood on end. She had suddenly realized that she was dressed far too lightly. Aside from a set of underwear, she had nothing on.

And it was not just her. Exusiai and Sora were the same way. Only Croissant was sleeping in her everyday clothes.

"No, Mizuki!!!"

Only then did Texas finally remember why Penguin Logistics had thrown a party last night. She hurriedly checked herself over, and after finding that nothing seemed wrong, she let out a small sigh of relief. Nothing hurt, either.

She also noticed a brand-new set of clothes on the bedside table, seemingly prepared specifically for the three of them.

"That scared me. But why were all our clothes taken off?"

Texas scratched her head in confusion, picked up her uniform and changed into it, then got up. Her nose told her that Mizuki was in the kitchen right now. It looked like he was making breakfast. Penguin Logistics had gained a cook, it seemed.

Still, Mizuki needed to explain this. Texas cleaned herself up, got properly dressed, and left the dormitory.

Not long after she left, Exusiai woke up groggily as well. Then she sharply sucked in a breath, nearly crying out.

"It hurts!!!"

Rubbing her thigh, Exusiai then clutched her head. She had drunk the most last night, but the pain quickly sobered her up and brought back memories of what had happened.

She seemed to have gotten completely wasted at the time. Once the alcohol hit her, she had acted like some kind of female hooligan, wrapping herself around Mizuki and doing some very improper things. She had completely forgotten that they had known each other for less than two days. She even seemed to have demanded that Mizuki return her first kiss. How had he returned it again? Oh, right, it seemed like...

"Holy shit!"

Last night's memories surfaced bit by bit, and Exusiai's face heated up at an astonishing speed. She finally remembered what she had done after that.

Although she blacked out afterward, after going that far, there seemed to be no reason they would not have continued. And on top of that, she hurt this much...

"Oh my god?!"

Exusiai reached down and felt around. Her clothes were gone. At this point, even if she wanted to lie to herself that nothing had happened, she could not.

Leaving Exusiai's reaction aside for the moment, Texas went downstairs and surveyed the living room before her. After a moment's thought, she shut her eyes and smacked her head, shaking off the last lingering effects of her hangover.

When she opened her eyes again, Texas' mind told her that yes, this really was Penguin Logistics' base. But was it not a little too clean? The floor tiles were not mirrors, were they!?

"Did I get transported into some parallel world?"

The chaotic mess from last night's party had vanished completely. The entire living room looked brand-new, and even the sofa looked almost freshly bought. The table was spotless, while the floor gleamed so brightly that one worried about slipping while walking on it.

Texas suspected she was hallucinating, because she saw bubbles. Colorful, dreamlike bubbles drifted out of the kitchen.

That fantastical sight prompted Texas to head into the kitchen. An enticing fragrance reached her nose, and her stomach immediately began protesting.

Mizuki was indeed in the kitchen. The colorful bubbles instantly burst and vanished when Texas pushed open the kitchen door. Mizuki was the only one busy inside, but strangely, the kitchen knives and soup ladles were all moving on their own. Mizuki was merely chopping vegetables. And he was not exactly short; at least, he did not need to stand on a little stool while cooking.

"Ah, Miss Texas, you're awake."

Noticing Texas, Mizuki pointed at the pot of soup simmering in front of him.

"Sorry, breakfast will take a little longer. You should go wash up first."

"You can cook?"

"Mm, I think so. Holding a kitchen knife feels very familiar. Maybe I really was a chef somewhere in the past."

Mizuki's smile was as bright as ever, giving people the comforting feeling of gentle waves lapping against the shore. Texas lowered her guard, though her doubts remained.

"Um... Mizuki, did you change our clothes last night?"

"Mm. Sister Croissant threw up all over herself and got her clothes dirty, so I couldn't let you sisters sleep like that. I had to change them. I've already washed them, and the wallets and everything else are on the table in the living room. Sister Croissant was the one who carried you all back."

Mizuki thought for a moment. There had been a little accident then. Croissant had been so drunk that she collapsed while carrying Exusiai last, causing Exusiai to fall hard. Mizuki had no choice but to carry both of them into the room. Exusiai should be hurting badly this morning. He needed to see whether they had any medicine for swelling, since she had unfortunately hit that particular spot.

"I see."

Texas, trained as she was, could tell Mizuki was not lying. She relaxed inwardly, but also felt rather helpless. Mizuki did not seem to care much about the boundaries between men and women. It had been the same when Exusiai kissed him before. Had he always been like this?

If so, that would be troublesome. They would be spending a long time together, and everyone at Penguin Logistics besides him was a girl.

"Though Sister Exusiai took off her own clothes. She also said something about making me return her first kiss. She nearly got my clothes dirty too."

Mizuki was somewhat resentful about it. Exusiai had reeked of alcohol last night, and that kiss had been the same. Most importantly, Mizuki had been about to break his game record, but Exusiai's interruption had ruined it. He could only try again today.

"I see."

Texas frowned slightly as she listened. She had seen what Exusiai was like when drunk, but based on Mizuki's description, Exusiai clearly needed a good punch.

"Oh, right. Mizuki, your uniform is still being made. Until then, just find a Penguin Logistics armband to wear."

Penguin Logistics did not require standardized uniforms. The four of them all wore different outfits, as long as they bore the Penguin Logistics insignia. Sora's identity was a little special, so she did not even wear an armband.

Though rather depressed, Texas could only accept her bad luck. She had not expected getting drunk to cause so much trouble. Luckily, nothing had really happened.

Exusiai's Imagined Misunderstanding

Without question, Mizuki's addition as the only boy would bring some changes within the Penguin Logistics team. But so far, things were generally improving. At the very least, they would no longer have to eat dry bread with jam in the mornings, or only eat Exusiai's apple pie.

Mizuki's cooking movements did not look like those of a beginner or someone merely putting on a show. But as she looked at the table full of dishes before her, Sora could not help asking a question from the depths of her soul.

"Can these... really be eaten?"

The finished dishes before them looked fairly good. Yet whether it was Texas or Croissant, all four girls harbored a strange and eerie thought, as if these dishes and even the plates holding them were alive.

Mizuki had surely put a great deal of effort into preserving the ingredients' freshness and vitality. Texas was certain that his deodorizing process and seasoning had been flawless as well.

Yet the finished dishes were clearly motionless, while looking at them still gave one the illusion that the ingredients were stirring with the remnants of their lives. It was as though he had used some special method to preserve the ingredients' freshness while fixing part of their "life" within them.

"They smell pretty good."

Texas leaned closer and sniffed. They did smell fragrant, but just looking at them made it difficult to take a bite, as though they were being eaten raw.

"Is Exusiai not ready yet?"

"Ah, she said her head hurt. She'll probably come down later."

Sora thought about it. Exusiai had seemed a little off this morning, though she could not say exactly what was wrong.

With Croissant's testimony, everyone understood what had happened last night. At least, they were all grateful to Mizuki. As for Exusiai's fall, even Croissant did not remember it. She had passed out drunk on the spot.

"Where's Mizuki?"

"He went upstairs to call Exusiai down for breakfast. Don't worry, I can guarantee he's not some lecher."

Croissant patted her chest as she vouched for Mizuki. As Penguin Logistics' best drinker, she had gotten drunk last night, but not badly enough to black out. Even if she could not tell the kitchen from the bathroom, she had at least not run into anything herself.

"You're that sure?"

"Yeah. Last night, Exusiai was practically on top of him, and he still couldn't bear to put down his controller. His eyes were glued to the game screen."

"I see... Wait, what did you say? Exusiai was on top of him?"

Sora suspected that her ears had been covered and that she had not heard properly. She removed her wolf-ear accessories, revealing her rabbit ears. She was originally a Cautus, but when she debuted as an idol, the Lupo craze had been in full swing, so she had simply put together that outfit.

"Yeah. She's still pretty hung up over losing her first kiss."

As Croissant spoke, she suddenly recalled that Exusiai and Mizuki's posture at the time had seemed a little... inappropriate for children. Mizuki had been fine, but Exusiai had been somewhat disheveled.

But afterward, Exusiai had apparently been unable to hold it in and puked directly onto the sofa. It startled Mizuki into throwing away his controller, and he had barely avoided getting his clothes dirty.

After that, Exusiai passed out. Mizuki had been quite resentful about failing to clear the game. Croissant could tell at a glance that Mizuki was the type who valued games more than girlfriends.

Upstairs, Exusiai sat on the bed, lost in philosophical contemplation about life. She pondered what would happen if people found out about last night.

If her parents and sister learned that she had muddle-headedly handed over her first kiss and first time to someone she had known for less than two days, in such a muddled way, what would they think?

Oh, they would probably pop champagne to celebrate that someone finally wanted her. Never mind, then.

"What am I supposed to do?"

The pain in her lower body was undeniable. Though there was no blood, Exusiai had no experience herself and nothing to compare it to. She had drunk so much last night, and she had always heard about things happening after drunken sex. It would be strange if her mind did not run wild.

"Sister Exusiai, may I come in?"

Someone knocked on the door. It was Mizuki's voice. Exusiai instinctively grew nervous and hurriedly put on her top before using the blanket to cover her lower body.

"Mm, come in."

The door was unlocked, so Mizuki gently pushed it open. He did not seem embarrassed at all. He walked straight over to Exusiai, and one look at her told him that the injury from last night's fall had not healed.

"Does it still hurt?"

Though his words were full of concern, they shattered Exusiai's last illusion when they reached her ears. She had no choice but to accept the fact that she had really lost control after drinking.

"Mm... a little."

It was an indescribably complicated feeling. After all, she and Mizuki had no emotional foundation to speak of. Exusiai's mood was utterly tangled. Not disliking Mizuki did not mean she liked him.

Yet things had somehow turned out like this, and the damned key was that she had been the one to initiate it. Even if she wanted to blame someone else, she could not find a reason to shift responsibility!

"This medicine reduces swelling and relieves pain. It should help. Sister Exusiai, remember to come downstairs for breakfast."

Perhaps because he wore a smile at all times, Mizuki gave people the feeling that he was impossible to dislike no matter what he did. Exusiai accepted the bottle of ointment with a red face. Mizuki did not think much of it; such matters were embarrassing to begin with.

The two were clearly thinking completely different things, yet they somehow constructed an entire line of logic for each other in their heads. It had to be said that this, too, was a kind of fate.

"Then I'll be going. Sister Exusiai, is there anything else?"

"No... Well, why do you call me Sister?"

Mizuki was even a little taller than Exusiai. Though Exusiai was older, it still felt strange. Their races were different, too.

"Because it feels friendlier that way."

That truly was what Mizuki thought. He was always accustomed to placing himself in the younger position. But Exusiai still found it strange. She had an older sister herself, so she had always been the one calling others sister. Being called sister by Mizuki made her feel unaccustomed to it, enough to give her goosebumps.

"Don't call me Sister anymore. It sounds so weird. Just call me Exusiai from now on... No, wait, ugh, this is so annoying."

Exusiai could not help covering her face. The halo above her head had grown brighter, making it clear that her emotions were exceedingly complicated right now.

"Forget it. You already got my first time anyway, and I gave it to you myself."

Muttering softly, Exusiai stared at Mizuki and found that his expression had not changed. His smile remained, though his eyes now held far more confusion.

"You should call me A-Neng from now on. My full name is Lemuel, but let me make this clear: don't call me by my name when other people are around. At most, call me Ale."

"My name is Mizuki. In Higashi pronunciation, it's IZUMI."

"Izumi?"

It was a somewhat strange name. Exusiai noticed that Mizuki's expression changed slightly after she said it, though perhaps it was only her imagination.

But Mizuki was merely turning the name over in his mind. Last night's dream had already blurred, and the only thing he somewhat remembered was a name—the being called Izumik, invoked by countless Seaborn.

A-Neng's Unexplained Shyness

It had to be said that when Exusiai saw the food Mizuki had made, she suddenly understood why Texas and the others had not touched it. Though it had color, aroma, and flavor, it still gave people the illusion of, Is this thing still alive?

Fortunately, Mizuki picked up his chopsticks first and seemed to be eating with great satisfaction. The girls gathered their courage as well. They were not sheltered young ladies, and they could not possibly be scared off by something like this.